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By WGCL Staff

Rockdale County. GA — 20 dogs have been seized, two of which were so badly wounded that they had to be put down, in an animal cruelty case that county officials say is one of the worst cases they've ever seen.

The dogs were chained or caged in the woods with no food and dirty water behind a home in Rockdale County.

Robert Thomas, who owns the dogs, told police that dog food prices were too high and he started feeding the animals deer meat. Thomas was taken into custody and faces charges related to animal cruelty.

Lita Boyd lives next door to Thomas and had just recently moved in. She says she heard the dogs barking before but never thought they were being kept in such poor conditions. She says she stumbled upon the situation after helping a neighborhood boy search for his own lost pet.

"When you go and you see something at this level in your backyard its absolutely gut wrenching," said Boyd. "You could visibly see every bone and joint in their bodies. You couldn't tell if some of the dogs had teeth in their mouth."

Boyd immediately called animal services.

In total, 20 dogs were rescued, two of which were forced to be put down. The remaining dogs are at the Rockdale County Animal Control in Conyers and are being nursed back to health before they can be put up for adoption.